Geneology Research

I know many folks involved in Digital Scrapbooking are also involved in Geneology Research. Of course, it makes perfect sense since both hobbies have to do with preserving memories for future generations. Here is a resource that may help you in your search of Public Court Records on the Internet.

A New Look at Quick Pages

I have never been a huge fan of Quick Pages. I always found them somewhat restricting, limiting my great and unlimited creative imagination (yes, that's sarcasm!). Recently, however, because of time constraints, I started trying a few because of their convenience, and I have to tell you I'm LOVING THEM! There are so many talented people out there - why not use thier creative genius, right?!

Here's one I just downloaded by Poupoune, with the kit, "Cherish of Love" by Fanette. This is my parents who will be married 40 years this Novemeber! Can you imagine?! Thank-you Poupoune and Fanette for the beautiful QP!

A Day Off

Ahhh... a day off. I had stupidly scheduled myself for a couple of overtime shifts this week, so for my days off I plan on doing absolutely nothing... except maybe catching up with my friends in the Digital Scrapping World and have a long chat with my sisters. We live so far apart now, with such busy separate lives that I often think I need a People Locator service to get in touch with them!

Ginger Has a New Store

Here's a layout I made of me and my friends at a little get-together from the other night using Ginger's "Ladies Night" kit that she was giving away on her new site, GingerScraps. Be sure to check out her site - it's really cute and has some great stuff!

Another Vacation!

I am so excited! I don't know if I mentionned it before, but we are going to go to Cancun again this year to spend the week before Christmas with my family. My parents bought a time-share type of deal down there and so we have a beautiful resort awaiting us! I'm never too excited to stay in hotels - I have a creepy paranoia with regards to germs there, but I'll make sure my Husband educates himself on exterminating bed bugs and other such delightful creatures before we leave. LOL!

Beautiful Freebies from Rachel

I know I'm not the only one who blog-hops. It's fun because it always leads to discovering new things. Today I found "Memory Scraps ~ designs by Rachel." She is giving away a bunch of really nice kits until the end of the month. Follow the links on her blog and you'll find them easily. Of course I grabbed a few... Here's a quick page I used to scrap some pictures I had taken at Denali National Park this last month... Yeah! I actually scrapped a little!

Moving Furniture

I've spent the day trying to arrange my furniture. It occurred to me that decorating a home is almost like moving... packing and unpacking, trying to find a spot for things... For me, moving is synonymous with nightmare. If I ever have to face it again, especially long-distance moves, I'll probably try to avoid a truck rental and find a company that would help me out!

My Morning Excitement

I got up this morning and was eating breakfast with my Husband when he suddenly grabs my arm and says "DON'T MOVE!" If you want me to panic, tell me not to move. I immediately suspect I am crawling with some sort of creature and am about to be eaten alive. So, of course, I move! Meanwhile, Michael is creeping over to the window, telling me to grab my camera. I grab it and follow him and this is what we see on our back fence!

Now if you didn't notice those claws, here's a close up! We have a lot of little rabbits running around our neighbourhood, and I suspect that's what brought this fellow by. Anybody know what it is?

After a couple clicks of the camera, he quickly tired of me and flew away. How awesome is that?!

Shopping for a Cartier Women's Watch?

While on our Honeymoon Cruise, I'm afraid to admit it, but we did a good bit of shopping. I was acutally really surprised at the prices of watches on board the ships. So surprised, in fact that we ended up buying a gorgeous new watch for my new Husband. His had recently fallen apart and until he saw those prices, he refused to get a new one! LOL!

As soon as my Husband had made his purchase, I think he was struck with a little bit of guilt because he quickly turned to me and said: "Now let's get you one, too!" In an effort to be sensible, I didn't get one, although now I am kind of wishing that I did... What exactly was I thinking???

Maybe next time I'll throw sensibility to the wind and go straight for the Cartier watches! Now those are some beautiful accessories! I was looking on the Watchery website for a cartier women's watch.

Obviously, the prices are a little out of my reach - my little Digital Designer salary isn't quite cutting it yet! But they are significantly discounted for those who can afford it. And hey! Who said a girl can't dream?

Our Furniture is In!

I am so excited! First thing this morning our new living room furniture got delivered and it is beautiful! At first I was somewhat horrified at the size... the room is rather small and I hate the over-stuffed look that enormous furniture gives. But after rearranging things, it has potential.

The leather chair was my choice. Yes, it's big, but it's so comfortable! It's the perfect chair to sit in front of the fire and read all day. So now the next step is to shop for accessories and artwork! I'll show you a picture if I ever get it done.

Unsolicited Calls?

I am one of those fortunate people to have inherited a phone number from someone who was clearly in credit card debt. Because of this, and despite numerous attempts to stop them, I am frequently the recipient of a high number of unsolicited phone calls. If you are in the same boat, you may benefit from Caller Identifier.

Finally! A Comfy Chair!

This may not be a huge deal to most, but it is to me... I finally got myself a gorgeous, new office chair today! It is sooooo comfortable and lush, I think I'll just sit here all evening! If you read this blog much, you may remember I mentionned several months ago (I'm talking April!) that my office chair had broken. We had gone out looking for a chair that would suit but came up empty-handed. Like the brilliant person that I am, I continued to sit in it. The inevitable eventually happened. I was sitting in the chair, chatting with my friend, Melody, leaning waaaaay back and CRASH! Hahaha! I crashed to the ground in the most lady-like fashion and she was so shocked that she fell too! LOL! She quickly regained her senses and grabbed her camera. And no, I will not be showing the results here!

Web Design Help

In response to several emails, the other day I started with a post on how to start your own Digital Scrapbooking Store. There is a lot of background work before every opening a store. In a previous post, I tried to emphasize the importance of research when choosing your host. Another point of importance before ever even opening your store is the design of your site. I am sure you have noticed that most Digital Scrapbooking sites are very similar. Yes, including mine! A main reason for this is program availability, price and ease of use. Original sites are eye-catching and unmistakeable... but hard to make and time consuming, if you are not familiar with web design.

For those of you like me, with no experience in web design, the amount of time and money you are willing to put in to the creation of your website will determine how it looks in the end. Fortunately there are some great web design services available to help you create your unique vision. You can chose between a standard, template-style web design or a premium, custom-made design. Professional web designers are available to help you on a one-to-one basis each step along the way. Network Solutions is one such example. They provide assistance from beginning to end, including hosting services and on-going customer service.

New Kit: Tribute to the USMC

Here it is... the last in the series of "Tribute to the Armed Forces." This last kit is called "Tribute to the USMC" and is available now at MyDigitalAddiction.com for FREE! For those of you collecting the series, it would probably be a good idea to collect all four and mix and match. Many items are shared between the different kits, but many are different as well. Click on the preview to be taken to the download section of My Digital Addiction!

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Starting a Website

I've had several emails recently asking me how to get started with an online digital scrapbooking store. Obviously it's a pretty big undertaking if you don't have the knowledge or training to do so. It is possible, though, and my biggest piece of advice is to research your web hosting very carefully and thoroughly. The wrong choice will ruin your experience and torment you until you change. Believe me. I've been there. If you make a good choice, you will never have to think about it again. There are a multitude of options to consider - not just price, so be sure to educate yourselves before making a decision. Start with WebHostingRating.com. This is one site that brings it all together and makes it easy for you to sift through and make a decision.

A Treasure Chest!

I feel like I've discovered an entire treasure chest of goodies! I'm sure you've all heard of Stone Accent Studio, right. Well, as you may have heard, they are currently hosting a "Next Designer" Contest. I always find this sort of contest really interesting because it's not just another person out there selling their creations, it is real artists competing. This results in the most beautiful kits EVER and would you believe it, they're GIVING THEM ALL AWAY?! You will need to sign in to their Gallery, which is more than worth it. Here are just a few of the kits I downloaded today:

I still can't believe it! Thank-you to all of the great designers and best of luck in the competition! Thank-you too, to Stone Accents Stuido for hosting this awesome competition! Can't wait to see who wins!

New Jersey Vacations

I am always thinking of the next vacation. I know I just got back from my honeymoon, so you'd think I'd be satisfied for a while, but in my wandering mind, that just means another trip is around the bend! I love, love, love travelling. Generally I like to see something different; something off the beaten path, away from the swarm of tourists.

So, I'm going to be honest, New Jersey is not the first place I would think of when I start planning my next vacation. In fact I have not been near New Jersey in over ten years. If you have children, though and are looking for a place to spend some quality time with your family, Morey's Piers may be the unexpected answer! I hear that the New Jersey water parks can be a great place for a family beach vacation.

Morey's Piers is a great place for a New Jersey vacation, operating three amusement piers and two beachfront waterparks along the boardwalk and beachfront of Wildwood, New Jersey. There are approximately 89 rides for big kids as well as little kids and two themed beachfront waterparks.

Morey's Piers website will provide you with a valuable resource when looking for hotels and motels in Wildwood. You can find more information on specials available on their website as well.

A Blog Full of Freebies!

Ok, so you all know by now that I love great deals and Freebies. So when I find a new nugget of information or a great new blog I'm going to share it with you! Now, maybe you've all heard of this place already, but I've been out of the loop for a while, so I'm just discovering it. It's a blog called the WaterLO Project. Here's how they define themselves: "We are free group of people (you can see their names in the kit preview), creative team and friends of PST Designs. The target of our project is to combine professional looking elements with gumboots, roasted duck, concrete troll or rat named Ruženka. We are fond of thinking up new elements and we are looking for seeing our „absolutely unscrapable“ elements used by you in your layouts. Usually our kits include about 50 elements so you can choose by your taste and we believe everyone is able to choose something. We create our kits a bit differently and tricky style – we define only theme to big group of members - without colour definition and restrictions. That’s the reason why our freebies look a bit differently. One more specialty of WaterLO Project are papers that we create only by mixture of textures and blended photos. And that is enough about us – lets download and create!"

They are different, original, interesting and very, very generous, so if you haven't already, take a jaunt over to the WaterLO Project Blog and have a look!

Virtual Assistant

I feel like I've been disconnected from the Digital Scrapbooking Community, since I've been so busy elsewhere. First planning for our wedding, then the wedding and honeymoon, then getting back to the daily grind... work's been busy and I've been working overtime. I often wonder how women run a household, look after their children, work and sometimes even go to school all at the same time. It's positively super-human. How do you fit in fun time? Hobbies? Relaxation? I have no kids and do not go to school and I do not have the time to fit such things in my life sometimes! Don't you love how life has the nerve to take time away from you relaxation time? I've been so busy, I haven't designed anything in months! I swear, sometimes I think: wouldn't it be great to have an assistant?! Or even better, a Virtual Assistant! Can you imagine having someone at your fingertips who was proficient in web design, graphic design, accounting and marketing services? It would be like having a valuable resource available, but not having to provide the desk! I recently came across a website of a company called BPOVIA that does all of this and more... makes you stop and think a little, doesn't it!

Tribute to the USAF Kit

I've just released the third kit in the "Armed Forces" Series, called "Tribute to the USAF." It is similar to the previous two kits, but contains a lot of items distinctly for the United States Air Force. It is available for FREE, as always, on MyDigitalAddiction.com now! Enjoy!

I began the "Armed Forces" series upon multiple requests from Mothers, Grandmothers, Wives, Aunts, Sisters and Daughters of those who are serving our country. This is for those who support our troops, where ever they may be stationned... it is for those who love them, stand behind them, encourage them and wait for them.

Sorry! This product is no longer available for download.

A Little Note

Hey guys! I wanted to add a little note regarding the "Armed Forces" Series. I have received a ton of emails asking me to expand the series or to create different elements ranging from bombers and submarines to tactical pants and rifles. I have to be honest - I am not American (although I've lived in the USA for many years) and am somewhat on the clueless side when it comes to the Armed Forces, how they are represented and the equipment used to protect our country. I've done my best in creating what I hope will be a useful kit to commemorate those who serve. Please be so kind as to bear this in mind when downloading this Series. Thank-you!

Back to Reality

So! The fun's over and I'm back to work. This week we started another "Biggest Loser" competition, which I joined in a continued effort to get in shape and be healthier. We've also just decided to join my parents in Cancun this Christmas time, so I've got a big of a time crunch! I doubt I'll ever be one of those Fitness Girls, but I don't care to join the Circus, either! LOL!

"Tribute to the USAF" Alphabet

Alright! So we're back in business... I've finally had the chance to sit down and put together another kit to share. This one is the third kit in the "Armed Forces" Series. Obviously this Series is targeted at a very specific audience, so I appologize for that. Today I am releasing the Alphabet. It is all capitalized and includes numbers. Be sure to come by tomorrow - I'm hoping to have the entire kit uploaded by then!

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Our Alaksan Cruise

It's been a while since I checked in; things have been busy, especially with work. Generally when work is busy, I'm tired when I get home and don't even sit down at the computer to check email, never mind blog! I'm hoping things will get better, though. I'm working on a third part of my "Armed Forces" Series, to be out soon.

Meanwhile here are some pictures, as promised from our Alaskan Cruise. It was too vast and beautiful to describe or to put into pictures... I tried and it does not do it justice to any extent.

Love of Travel

I have gotten a few emails asking for more pictures - they're coming! LOL! I am working on them one by one - there are a few thousand of them! Imagine scrapbooking all of them?! What's really great, is it seems that my new Husband has caught on to my love of travelling! When I met him, he was completely disinterested in such things. Now, he is coming to me with suggestions of travelling to the Mediterranean and other exotic places! It's incredible! Can you imagine renting some North Cyprus Property, for example... enjoying the unspoiled sandy beaches and the incredible regional cuisine? Ah... for the life of luxury!

Denali National Park

Ok! I've had some time to work on my pictures - this is the other side of "My Digital Addiction!" So here are a few of my favorite pictures from my time in Denali National Park in Alaska.

The drive from Anchorage to Denali was almost as enjoyable as Denali itself. It was raining on and off and rainbows were scattered all over the sky.

The last picture was taken just outside of where we stayed. Every room overlooked this quiet lake, surrounded in mountains. It was breathtaking to watch the sun set and rise everyday.

We booked an all-day tour into Denali National Park for the first day we were there. Although the clouds obscured the view of "The Big One," we were extremely fortunate to get a show from nature like no other.

Stay tuned! Next time I should have some pictures of our Alaskan cruise!

Lake Tahoe Beauty

Well... I'm still sick. I must have some stubborn virus that refuses to quit. I'm still hacking and coughing and sniffling but I went back to work for a couple of days anyways.

I've been getting screamed at for more pictures and updates ~ I hear you! I'm just working on the pictures I've taken and my wedding pictures haven't come back from the photographer yet. I should be getting them this week! I'm dying to see them! Kirsten - I was told to expect the rain, so we were well-prepared. Alaska would be beautiful even if it rained non-stop! In fact, we hadn't had rain here for months, so the rain was actually a welcome change for us. Sharon - Thank-you! That's not the exact spot where we got married, but isn't it beautiful?! You could pretty much pick any spot you like around Lake Tahoe and just sit for hours admiring the beauty!

Here's a couple more pictures from our at in Lake Tahoe and the surrounding area. Next post will be some from Alaska!